Grateful for the gift of health and fitness

Menu

The Ups and Downs

Last Saturday, when I ran with some dreamers in Alabang, I watched them speed up even on the uphills. They seemed not to care whether the road was flat or inclined. Wow, they were so strong. I have read about hill training and it’s importance but since I live where there’s no elevation (think: rice fields), I don’t have a place to do it.

A good hill session will make you a better runner. Fact.

There’s got to be a way. I thought of running on a treadmill but that would be too boring. I mean, the night was so nice, not too humid, and there was a bit of a breeze. The Christmas lights were also up and running inside would be uninspiring.

Christmas lights on the trees

Then I saw a bridge just a few kilometers from our house. “Aha! I could run there,” I thought. It looked so festive with all the Christmas lights.

After the warm-up, I ran up and down that bridge for 35 minutes. I sprinted on the way up and then jogged on the way down. It was a short bridge, only 120 meters long. So before my legs got tired, I was already on top. It was ok, I guess. I only wished I had a longer hill.

I actually liked the thrill of trying to run quicker. There was an old pick up truck that was making its way over the bridge. I raced it. I won. Really! Only because it was too old and was ready to be crushed in a junk yard. Oh it had a hard time going up. Hahaha!